Histopathology of Liver in Diabetes Mellitus - An Autopsy Study

Background: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis has been a well-known entity in association with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) following insulin resistance and absence of overt hepatic manifestation. We aimed to study the histopathological features of liver in autopsy cases of known DM and identify the significant features and evaluate the extent of hepatic fibrosis seen in DM. Materials and Methods: Liver histology of 86 autopsy cases of known DM was analyzed over a period of 61⁄2 years with ageand sex-matched controls. Cases with overt hepatic diseases and alcohol intake were excluded from the study. Clinical and biochemical data were acquired from hospital records. Histological features were analyzed using non-alcoholic fatty liver disease scoring system. Results: Steatosis, lobular and portal inflammation, nuclear glycogenation, and fibrosis were found to be significant features as compared to the controls. Conclusion: Fibrosis appeared to be the independent feature irrespective of the degree of steatohepatitis, thus contributing to morbidity and mortality among diabetics.